Instagram’s latest update is a retailer’s DREAM!
The social media Gods must be in a great mood this week… because there have been SO MANY amazing updates all across social media! I’ve put some of my favourites together so you can get as excited as I am.
Instagram Shopping comes to New Zealand
Have you ever been scrolling on Instagram, seen something you HAD to buy, but were disappointed when you couldn’t find more info or where to purchase it from? Or alternatively, you’re a business with awesome products that you want people to be able to easily purchase? Well… have I got some great news for you! Instagram Shopping is now available in New Zealand!
This is my favourite update of the week because it will be so beneficial for businesses. Basically, this update allows brands to tag products for purchase directly in a post. Once the browser clicks the product it will open up another page within the app where the customer can see the price and a description. They can then select “Shop Now” and will be taken to the brand’s website where they can purchase the product directly. Check out the example from Glassons below to see how the process works:
How cool is that?! Some notes about the new feature:
- It is only available for business profiles. If you’re a business and you haven’t done this already — check out Start Social for a ‘how-to’!
- It’s totally free.
- You’ll need to have some form of an e-commerce store (Facebook shop, website, etc).
- Posts with a shop tag can’t be promoted, they can only gain organic reach.
If you have a retail, beauty or health & fitness I seriously recommend utilising this feature. It makes it so easy for people to purchase from you, which is exactly what you want.
Do you want to start using this feature on your business Instagram? We’ll be adding an in-depth ‘how-to’ onto our Start Social courses— so keep an eye out.
More from Instagram…
It doesn’t stop at Instagram Shopping! The app has been testing a lot of new features which seem pretty close to being released. They include Slow Motion Mode, Mute Profiles, Stories Calendar, Stories Reactions and Tagging Facebook Friends. I’m most excited about the prospect of a Stories Calendar which will show you which days you posted to your story with a snapshot of the content in calendar format. This tool will be great for brands to monitor their Story use and frequency, and will also be great for content planning.
Facebook Introduces Up/Downvote Tools
Facebook has introduced up and downvote options in their comment section — the intention being for them to help with reducing spam and offensive comments. I noticed this feature on my own Facebook about a month ago but couldn’t find much information about it online, so it’s great to see that it’s properly launching now.
This will definitely affect brands — it can either help with increasing reach through engagement on the comments or it could prove to be damaging in cases where a negative comment about a brand gains traction through upvotes. It will be interesting to see how this one goes and I’ll definitely be paying attention.
This week has brought us some really exciting social media updates. I’m really keen to hear your thoughts on them — which one will you be using for your business? Let me know!
If you’re not even sure how to create an Instagram or Facebook account and how to use it for your brand to get more business, or you have any questions about social media marketing then jump online here or email us at team@startsocial.nz today and we’ll help you find the best course for you.
Have a fab week, everyone!
Wendy, CEO & Founder, Start Social
